Akimbo and the Snakes

Do you like surprising stories? If you do, Akimbo and the Snakes is the book for you. The book is about a young boy named Akimbo. He always wanted to go to his uncle's snake park but his father said "Wait until you are older." But one day his father let him go to his uncle's snake park for a school vacation. Read the book to find out what happens. My favorite part was when Akimbo described what happens at the snake park on the way there. It was interesting to learn about how they make anti-venom. This book is great for people who like shocking endings. Hurry up now and read Akimbo and the Snakes!

Our four year old loves Africa and all stories about animals, we bought the whole AKIMBO series and all enjoyed it!!

Although this book is described as being for the 4-8 year-old group, it seemed to me more like a 7-12 year-old book that will only appeal to those who don't have nightmares about poisonous snakes. I was attracted to the book by realizing that the various animal-related stories that Alexander McCall Smith includes in his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books were among my favorite parts of those books. It occurred to me that the Akimbo books might have such stories in them. Well, not quite . . . but the series is full of Akimbo learning about wild animals, the threats to animals from people, and deals with the problems through Akimbo's brave deeds. Children like to see themselves playing important roles in the world, and Akimbo and the Snakes is very good for appealing to that desire. Akimbo's uncle runs a snake park. One of the daily tasks is milking venom from poisonous snakes. Akimbo has a chance to help during a long visit to the park. The visit becomes more exciting when Akimbo joins Uncle Peter to capture a green mamba, a very dangerous snake. Without Akimbo, the snake would have gotten away. The book features a terrifying scene involving Akimbo and the green mamba that's not for the easily frightened. The book does a good job of describing about all kinds of snakes and making them seem less dangerous than the most fearful might imagine. The book is nicely illustrated which adds to the realism of the story.

In this highly interesting and fact filled story, Smith tells the story of Akimbo's visit to his Uncle Peter's Snake sanctuary. In the "Snake Park" are many varieties of snake and many are poisonous. Akimbo goes to visit for 4 weeks. During that time, he is taught about feeding the snakes and about milking the venom from the snakes. The venom is `milked' in order to make anti-venom so that people bitten by the snakes can be saved from death. The story becomes more exciting when Akimbo and his Uncle go after a green mamba, one of the most poisonous and predatory snakes in the world. The green mamba lives in trees and will often drop down upon its prey and bite it. The bite would kill a human being in about 4 minutes. They go after a report of a green mamba citing way in the bush. They are not sure whether the snake really is a green mamba, but in fact they find that it is. It is Akimbo who is able to spot the snake in a tree. His Uncle is able to get the snake and they trap it with a device for the purpose. Then it is put in a canvas bag. During the trip back to the village, the snake escapes from the bag and comes into the passenger cabin of the truck. Akimbo is alone in the truck when that happens. He uses great ingenuity and stays totally still. His Uncle then comes from the other side and traps the snake again. The snake ends up in the Park. The book is one of the most intense books in the Akimbo series. It is a highly interesting and educational book for children. The illustrations are well done and give the reader a very good feeling for the experience. The book is recommended for all young readers.

Akimbo feels lucky when his father allows him to visit his uncle's snake park where he lives in Africa - and when his uncle's called upon to investigate the sighting of a green mamba - the deadliest of all - he's ready for adventure. What he isn't ready for is coming upon the snake himself. Black and white drawings enhance an easy-read action tale kids will relish.